Runes of Magic

Drawing much of its inspiration from the mammoth MMORPG World of Warcraft, Runes of Magic brings to life the fantasy world of Taborea with beautiful 3D graphics, and with over 600 quests to complete offers players much in the way of content and features. With fully-realized dungeon encounters, unmatched character customization, a unique multi-class system, in-game player housing, and a growing community of over 2,000,000 – Runes of Magic guarantees something for everyone.

Runes of Magic Overview

Runes of magic is a feature rich MMORPG that uses a graphic style very similar to WoW’s. The familiar interface and animations help new players and MMO veterans adjust to the world of Taborea. The game supports both individual player housing and guild controlled castles located in separate instances. But what really sets Runes of Magic apart is the dual-classing system whereby characters can pick a second class at level 10. With a total of eight classes and two races (Human, Elf) to chose from, players can create truly unique characters.

Classes:

Warrior – Masters of armed combat. Warriors can use any close combat weapon and any type of armor besides plate. They deliver special strikes and blows which have various effects on their targets.

Scout - Adapt at long-ranged combat, Scouts use their bows or crossbows to deal heavy damage. They are vulnerable at close range and rely on a series of evasive and delaying skills to keep enemies from closing in.

Rogue - Specialized at inflicting deadly blows at a fast rate, rogues use daggers which can cause heavy bleeding or be coated in poison. They are very capable at doding blows, but their speed comes at the expense of armor and health. Rogues can also lay traps, scout, and increase a group’s income generation.

Mage - Commanding the elements of fire and lightning, Mages deal heavy damage from afar. They possess direct damage, and area of effect spells. Mages can also cast barrier spells and strength buffs, adding to their utility.

Priest (Human Only) - While priests can cast water based spells to deal damage, they primarily play a supportive role. Priests can cast healing spells, boost their allies stats, and even bring fallen comrades back from the dead. They can equip shields which aid their defense, but are still frail.

Knight (Human Only) - Heavily armored fighters, Knights are the only class that can wear plate armor. Knights go into battle head-first equipped with shields and light-based attacks. They are the tanks of RoM and have the ability to draw their foes attacks towards themselves.

Druid (Elf Only) - Attuned to nature, Druids are a versatile class capable of healing allies, casting damage over time spells, and even mind controlling opponents. Druids possess a special ability that allows them to gather Nature’s Power and unleash it at anytime to cast powerful spells.

Warden (Elf Only) - Close combat specialists. Wardens can use a diverse set of weapons and can wear chain armor. Wardens can summon powerful pets to fight alongside them, and have access to magical spells which strengthen themselves and weaken their opponents.

Runes of Magic Screenshots

Runes of Magic Feature Video

Full Review

Runes of Magic Review

By Cody ‘Neramaar’ Hargreaves

To get it out of the way nice and early, and to give those that disagree with me a chance to respond without having to read the entire review, Runes of Magic is a WoW Clone. There, I said it. Have at me with your silver tongues and sharpened wits, exact your revenge upon my flesh, for I have gone where many have before, and branded a game a clone of World of Warcraft. The thing is, and this is where I might lose you, so pay close attention – I think that it’s a good thing.

I KNEW THIS LOOKED FAMILIAR…
You see, throughout these past short years, years that have been particularly kind to the MMO industry, games have been cloning one another on an almost daily basis. Hell, if you wanna get real technical – any game portraying an open 3D world with a third-person perspective is a clone of the original Everquest – and although I can’t think of it off the top of my head – Everquest is probably a clone of another, albeit less popular, MMO game. Cloning is simply part of the industry, and as much as I don’t particularly like the idea – it’s here to stay, and it’s something we have to get used to.

With Runes of Magic (henceforth referred to as RoM), it’s different. They haven’t simply cloned the gameplay style, or the character textures – they’ve pretty much cloned the entire damn game, right down the names of a large portion of the skills and spells. The biggest key difference between the two of them lies solely in the fact the RoM is free to play, and WoW is not. There is however a great many additions that have been added to the WoW formula in RoM, and therein lies salvation.

FILLING IN THE BLANKS
For the three of you reading this that have absolutely no idea what the WoW formula is, or any other standard MMORPG formula for that matter, it is simply the standard way that MMORPG games are played. You create a character, and spend a large quantity of your life making that character great, through killing monsters and gaining experience and equipment, thereby making your character stronger. Thanks to the countless content updates and additions to these games, this cycle is damn near never ending – and is the main contributor to the new ‘MMO Addiction’ craze that’s taking the world by storm.

This is the process that almost every MMORPG game takes – and is the same process that was perfected by Blizzard with WoW – hence the 11.5 Million active players. The reason I have never labeled any other game a WoW clone is because cloning this simple process of playing isn’t really cloning WoW. Cloning the skills, environments, quests, and a plethora of other features however, is. There – only took me five paragraphs to explain why RoM is a WoW Clone, now on to why this is such a good thing.

GO ON, FLAUNT IT
The key here, and the thing that gives RoM so much of its undeniable charm, is in the improvements and additions that have been made to the formula – many of which are incredible additions that truly make the game. One such addition, also the one that I like the most, is in the character creation whereby players are able to choose the size of each of their individual body parts – giving each player their own individual look and style. Add to this over 30 different face and hair options, and you have a recipe for total character customization – a simple, yet highly appreciated addition to the game.

MY HOME IS MY CASTLENot enough customization you say? Then take a look at RoM’s unique multi-class system that allows players to combine their main class (out of a possible Warrior, Knight, Rogue, Priest, Mage or Scout) with a second class – adopting all of their secondary skills and abilities. This allows for over 30 different class combinations in total and should be more than enough to help you stand out from the crowd. Hell – if you’re really keen on appealing to your personal preferences, RoM even includes your very own house that you can use to store your loot and goodies, and decorate to your liking with furniture purchased through the in-game shop. Of course, to use the in-game shop, you’ll need to get your credit card handy, and fork over some dough for a few diamonds.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
Diamonds are the in-game currency used in RoM, and can only be obtained by spending real hard-earned dollars – well – future real hard-earned dollars, as you’ll need to use a credit card to make a purchase. Diamonds can be used to purchase a number of different things in RoM, from furniture for your house or upgrades for your weapons, to additional bag space and mounts to travel faster across the world, and although you don’t need to purchase diamonds – you’ll definitely want to, as they make the playing experience a lot more fun when you do. One downside to the game’s cash shop is that the most powerful enchantment items are only available through the cash shop.

CAUSE AND EFFECTAlso thrown into the mix in RoM is an older style PvP system in which you have full access to attack any player you choose provided that you are both above level 15. Of course, doing so will net you some negative karma – causing you to turn red and drop your equipment if you’re killed. I’ve been a massive fan of this style of PvP back since the days when Lineage 2 was a top game, because you really have to think about who you kill as the repercussions can be deadly. There’s nothing more fun then losing your cool with a party member, ganking them out of pure frustration, then running for your life from a horde of greedy gamers drooling over the weapons they might get if they can kill you.

Of course, for every good part of a game, there is surely a bad part to follow, and at present, RoM could still use a lot of work. There’s nothing especially game breaking to mention, just a few little kinks that need ironing out here and there. Things like bad translations, and in some areas, no translation at all. Missing sounds, such as the hooves of your horse as it gallops across the countryside, or the always expected ‘chink’ your mining pick should make as it hit’s the rock – missing sounds like this really draw from the immersion, and show a severe lack of polish.

Runes of Magic is the gold standard of the free-to-play MMO experience. Since its release back in early 2009, Runes of Magic has enjoyed numerous major content updates, called “chapters”, which added enormous amounts of new content to the game. As is, Runes of Magic is one of the most content rich free to play MMORPGs out there.

Final Verdict: ExcellentRunes of Magic didn’t just raise the bar, it continues to push it higher. It is a stalwart example of the glorious free-to-play gaming era that we have only recently begun to experience, and although it currently still has a number of flaws, it’s already one hell of a gaming experience, and a must play for any MMO gamer. Since the game’s original release back in 2009, the game has enjoyed numerous major expansions called “Chapters” which introduced a lot of new content to the game. Frogster has done and continues to do a stellar job with Runes of Magic – making it one of the best free to play MMORPGs ever.